Pokemon Genesis: A Tale of Two Hearts
by Rosewood Thorns
Summary: All Scarlett wanted to do was become the World's Best Pokemon Coordinator, but when her life takes an ugly turn she must balance her emotions while fighting an evil organization after her life and the only thing between her and her dreams...
1. Chapter 1: The First Step

Chapter 1:

The First Step

Slowly, the door of the handsomely decorated room opened; silhouetted by the light which poured in heavily was the figure of a girl. Her eyes were open wide with terror and her lower lip trembled. Staggering, she crossed the room to a stylish white canopy bed, which appeared red through the draping maroon curtains. Before she could sit on it, her rubber-like legs failed her and she fell onto her knees, tightly gripping the bedcloth. She was breathing heavily, as if something had just choked her. Her head spun and she released her grip, hitting her body against the bedside dresser adorned with little trinkets. A bottle of red nail polish rolled down, because of the sudden jerk, and fell onto the marble floor, breaking into a million different shards and splashing its color onto the girl's hand and a part of her jeans.

_Red? _She thought, observing the color with disgust. _The color of blood. _The color she had just seen on television.

_Professor Obadiah killed in a brutal attack._ The voice of a news reporter echoed in her head. Several other flashbacks also refreshed the memories. She clearly envisioned her father's corpse lying motionless on the road, a puddle of blood surrounding it. Professor Obadiah, her father, was dead. No, murdered. Brutally and inhumanely murdered.

That wasn't the only thing that disturbed her. She knew who had killed him. Goons of an evil underground organization which called itself Team Genesis. They had been after her dad. They wanted him to form an alliance with them and help them to fulfill their mission; to create a range of new and 'improved' Pokemon and dominate the world with their mighty army. How did she know all this?

***Five hours ago***

"Scarlett! Where are you?" Professor Obadiah, a tall, handsome man in his early forties called loudly. Stared up the 20-step spiralling staircase, waiting for a response from his daughter.

Scarlett quickly ran down the staircase, barely saving herself from tipping over due to the force she was applying on her body.

"Yes dad." She asked, fixing her long dark brown hair before looking up at her father.

Her father fixed his brown eyes onto her icy blue ones. His usually friendly face was stern, a crease running through his forehead.

"Is anything wrong?" She asked softly. Her father had never looked at her like that. It frightened her.

He tried to soften the look on his face, but was unsuccessful. He pulled down the collar of his lab coat to adjust it and scratched the back of his neck.

"You are aware that you're 15 years old, right?" He asked. He sounded as if he was trying to indicate something.

Scarlett nodded, looking at her father with a look of confusion. _What does he mean?_

Clearing his throat, his father announced, "Right. So, I've decided you should start travelling with Pokemon by your side."

_What!_ She screamed inside. But outside, she had a straight face as if the news didn't strike her. She calmly said, "Oh."

"Yes." His father nodded, his arms behind his back. "I'll call you over later at the lab so you can receive your Pokemon. For now, just pack a small bag for your convenience."-coughing again-"Well, I'll be going now. Goodbye." He said stiffly and walked out the front door.

"What's gotten into him?" Scarlett thought as she made her way up the staircase once again.

The rest of her day was spent choosing the outfits she needed (though she wanted to take them all). Meanwhile, she changed into clothes she thought better for travelling; a black oversized jacket with half-sleeves, beige shirt with a heart stylishly stenciled across it, dark blue jeans and her favourite pair of violet-colored converses. She tied her hair back into a ponytail with a purple ribbon. She examined herself in the mirror once before deciding that she was looking fine. Her soft smile weakened. The corners of her mouth twitched.

"I just wished I was as confident as I dressed." She told herself, looking away from the mirror. She looked at her small black shoulder bag which lay on the white canopy bed. Her whole room was decorated according to her taste. From the black and white marble flooring to the stencils surrounding the balcony door. She knew she was going to miss it all. Picking up her bag and hanging it on her shoulder, she walked out of the room. As she climbed down the staircase she stopped and had a good look everything. With one long sigh, she broke the prevailing silence in the house and kept walking down.

It had struck her to check what was on T.V for one last time. The XYZ News Channel turned on, blaring the headline 'Professor Obadiah Brutally Murdered, Thrown off Building.' The next thing shown was a small clip of his corpse being rushed to the hospital. Next thing she knew, everything went black and the earth beneath her crumbled. A heaving force in her chest forced her to fall to the ground. Underneath the coffee table she just hit was a letter. She didn't know whether or not to open it.

"Dad's not here, so…" She told herself and pulled out the neatly printed sheet from the envelope.

"Professor Obadiah,

It has gotten to our attention that you have rejected our invitation for the formation of an alliance with the great Team Genesis. Your Pokemon Genetic Engineering skills would be of great use for our quest for World Domination. To be honest, we never expected you to refuse. Now that you know of our plans, we must not let you spread the news. Our assistants will kindly deal with you.

Yours Sincerely

Dominique-Team Genesis"

The letter fell to the ground.

_Deal with you. _Those words struck her as if they had been addressed to her personally by whoever sent the letter. She swallowed the lump in her throat, understanding what had happened to her father.

Hot tears rolled down her eyes as she ran out of her house. She couldn't bear it any longer. Every thing in that house reminded her of her father.

_I can't believe he just left me like that!_ She cried, tears streaming down her eyes and hitting the ground with force. _I have to find out. He can't be dead! He just can't!_

The first thing she could think of doing was running all the way to the lab. That was the only rational thing to do.

_Its not that far away. I can run. I have to find out…just what happened._

With every second she ran slowly as her legs were tiring out. She stared at the grassy pathways which led to the enormous laboratory. As she ran up a small hill, the building became more visible. She pushed the doors of the building, making a dramatic entry. Noone, however, seemed to notice her much. They all seemed sad and forlorned. Perhaps, it was due to the loss of a valuable member.

"Scarlett?" A voice asked.

Scarlett's eyes widened with the I-hope-its-not-the-person-I-don't-like look. She turned back and found Prof. Melanie staring down at her. She was exceptionally tall, about 5'10, and was hovering five inches over her.

Unable to speak, she just opened her mouth. Melanie in response embraced her tightly. The girl flinched.

"Don't you worry darlin'. I'm hear for you." She said in a somewhat sincere tone.

Melanie had just confirmed her fear. He was dead.

Scarlett pushed her away. Melanie disgusted her. Flirting with her father, being so motherly to her, acting like they were best buddies, even when they clearly weren't. Melanie wasn't a bad person really, she was just…too eccentric. Annoyed, Scarlett exhaled a deep breath of air. Her bloodshot eyes were already as pink as bubblegum. Her nose was a bright red, her cheeks flushed. Melanie couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Nobody could. She had no parents left in the world.

"Melanie, the Pokemon my dad left me." Scarlett said flatly. She rubbed her burning hot cheek.

Melanie looked startled. She asked, "That Pokemon the Professor left…is yours?"

The girl nodded, looking up at her. She wanted to fast forward to the point where she would hand over her Pokemon. She wasn't in the mood for talking.

Melanie definitely interpreted the look on Scarlett's face and quickly got to the chase; or at least walked all the way upto a large spherical containment unit. In its centre was a Pokeball, shining under the white light of the bulb hanging over it. Scarlett looked at the odd looking Pokeball, half purple and half white. She didn't complain. She personally loved purple.

"What Pokemon is it?" She asked herself, as the Professor took out the Pokeball.

Melanie shook her head in reply, "I honestly don't know. Let's take a look ourselves."

She handed over the Pokeball to the curious girl. "What are you waiting for?"

"I…don't think I can do this." Scarlett admitted. She felt weak. Her eyes were tearing up again.

Melanie embraced her with a gentle yet firm grip. As she stroked the girls dark brown hair, she slowly whispered, "Your father wanted you to start travelling. He wanted you to be the best you could be. Can't you do that for him?"

"I don't think I'm ready." She said pathetically.

"You were ready the day you…." Melanie was at a loss for words, literally. She released her grip and tried to be as cheerful as possible, but her spirits were already dampened by the death of her friend. "I'm sorry, I ran out of dialogues for this tearful scene."

Scarlett forced a smile and tightened her grip on the Pokeball in her hands. What could it be? Taking a deep breath she pressed the button of the purple Pokeball.

Red plasma was released from the Pokeball, before a creature rolled in a golden ball of light revealed itself. It had a blue body with a black torso and eye mask. A small device was tied around its neck.

Both trainer and Pokemon stared at each other with unbelievable looks. Scarlett knelt down and leaned forward, her eyes still wide open. When she blinked, the Pokemon jumped back and as a reaction she jumped back, making a high-pitched "Aak!"

Both took a deep breath and continued looking at each other, curiosity was written all over their faces.

"It's a Riolu." Melanie announced, coughing.

Scarlett ignored her, still not believing what was in front of her own eyes. She felt as if that Pokemon was the only thing standing in the whole room.

"Hi." She said, breaking the silence.

"Hi." Riolu replied, much to her surprise.

_Pokemon aren't supposed to talk,_ she thought. She looked around, thinking, Please don't let it be a dream.

Melanie placed her hand on her shoulder and said, "It's the device on its neck. It translates Riolu's voice into English, making communication much easier."

The girl nodded. Trying to be friendly, she smiled and informed the open-mouthed Riolu: "I'm your new trainer, Riolu."

Riolu's eyes widened.

"You?" She said. Its voice confirmed it was female.

Her trainer nodded.

Riolu jumped onto her head.

"Ouch!" Scarlett cried as Riolu jumped off and ran away. It had just escaped. It dashed out of the lab out into the wild.

"What are you waiting for?" Melanie cried out. She shook her shoulder and said, "Go catch it!"

Scarlett took a deep breath and exhaled. She quickly ran out of the lab, after the Pokemon that had just escaped. Probably because it was not happy with her trainer.

"Why does everything happen to me?" She asked herself, as she had begun to doubt her worth. Even her first Pokemon ran away from her.

_I hope you liked it. It was a really boring chapter for me as I have all these ideas stuck in my mind. I just want to rush to them. But as I know that isn't fair to the readers, I don't. Please tell me if you want me to continue._

_Will Scarlett be able to catch Riolu? Who will she run into? _

_~Rosewood Thorns~_


	2. Chapter 2: An Unfaithful Encounter

Chapter 2:

An Unfaithful Encounter

* * *

The wind swept through his black hair. He was 6 feet tall with light brown eyes so warm they could melt the coldest ice. He looked to be about 17 years old. The lush green grass swayed because of the cold wind. He stared at the view. The sun was about to set and there was an orange tint in the sky. The pink cotton candy clouds seemed to move slowly. Besides him stood a Jolteon, its static fur sparkling.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Jolteon asked his trainer. He had one of those devices tied around his neck.

The boy did not look at his Pokemon, his eyes were set on the dim glow of the sea which was visible right beside the Pokemon Research Centre downhill. The Pokemon Research Centre was located on a small plateau-like area and was right beside the sea. A school of Corsola seemed to be gathering around the coastline. They brought back old memories for him.

"Let's go." He said calmly, turning away his back. In a flash, something seemed to pass by them.

His eyes open wide, the boy turned to his Jolteon and said, "Go and see whatever that was."

Jolteon sped off at such a speed that he appeared invisible except for the blue sparks he emitted from his skin. The boy kept his eyes fixed on the path down which both Pokemon were zipping down. Riolu jumped onto a tree branch, staring down at Jolteon with a confused look.

"Why are you following me?" Riolu asked, one hand on the tree trunk.

Jolteon's skin sparked brightly and he responded, "Don't think you can escape."

With those words he released a strong bolt of electricity from its fur. Riolu was paralyzed with fear and the sudden current of electricity which ran through his body pushed him down the branch and he fell face forward, unconscious. Jolteon circled its prey, awaiting its next move.

Observing from far away, the boy smirked, "An easy catch."

He was just about to walk down to the two Pokemon when something knocked him over. He fell on his back with a girl over him. Her hands were on the ground to support her and her legs were firmly holding her just parallel to the boy.

Upon seeing his face, Scarlett kept staring at him.

_His eyes, they're so…brown…_she thought, mystified by no reason. Suddenly, she realized the position she was in and the look of confusion and disgust on the boy's face. Blushing a bright red, she quickly got to her feet.

"Um, I'm sorry." She said, feeling her cheeks get warm. She dusted off the invisible dirt off her black jacket and looked up at him, waiting for a response. He didn't and walked down the path.

Scarlett walked behind him unconsciously. She stared at the back of his long black blazer which was similar to hers. He was wearing a white open-collared shirt underneath it and black pants.

As soon as she was done with her observation, she stared down the path which she was following him. Riolu lay motionless on the ground with a Jolteon continuously tackling it.

"Stop." Scarlett said weakly, her hand reaching out.

The boy ignored her and took out a Pokeball from a pocket inside his blazer. He threw it at Riolu and her body went into the small Pokeball in the form of red plasma.

"Wait!" Scarlett cried. She ran up to the boy and gripped him by the arm. He looked at her with a straight face.

"That's my Riolu." She said, trying to be firm. Her trembling hands vibrated his blazer's arms.

"Jolteon return!" Jolteon was called back inside its Pokeball and placed inside his coat pocket.

The boy walked forward and picked up the Pokeball, observing it as the flashing red button came to a stop. He then mumbled sarcastically, "You seem like a responsible trainer."

"What?" She asked, unable to understand him clearly.

"Nothing." Was his simple reply. He looked down at her and asked coolly, "So you want it back?"

Scarlett nodded. He lowered his hand and the Pokeball was in his open palm. Just as she was about to pick it up, he suddenly raised his arm high and dangled the Pokemon in the air. She jumped up but couldn't retrieve it.

"You have to take it from me." He said. She jumped up as high as she could but to no avail. After all, he was about 7 inches taller than her.

"Give it back please." She cried before making one last leap in the air.

"That proves that you're not capable of keeping this Pokemon." The boy said, running one hand through his jet black hair.

Her lips curved into a frown and the bright eyes dimmed. She bit her lip, wondering what she could do. The boy examined her disheartened face, before throwing the Pokeball towards her.

She caught it quickly and gazed at the boy's face.

"Thanks." She spoke softly. She stroked the Pokeball once before looking up again.

"My name's Scarlett." The words escaped her lips. She awaited an answer.

He turned away and said, "Aiden."

It had gotten dark and he could easily spot a few bright stars twinkling in the sky. Their dim light seemed to form a shadow on his face. He couldn't help but notice her ice blue eyes. They seemed to be brighter in the starlight. He noticed that she wasn't moving from her place. "What's the problem now?"

"I'm scared." She confessed to this stranger, about whom she knew nothing about.

"Of what?" He asked.

"I don't know…honestly."

"So what should I do about it?" He asked, not showing the least bit interest. His eyes were fixed upon the sky.

"Could you just….walk me home?" She asked. She was feeling awkward saying this. She had never talked to guys much, but she was desperate.

He understood her desperation and nodded. For some reason, he couldn't refuse. He walked ahead and tried to avoid conversation.

She, however, was curious and asked, "What were you doing near the lab?"

"What were you?" He counter-attacked.

She didn't want to explain the whole story from the start and didn't respond. All the way, she was walking behind him and was unable to see his face. She couldn't see that look of pain and confusion hidden under his straight face. He wanted to get whatever it was over with.

"Are we there yet?" He asked, suddenly stopping in his tracks. He sounded impatient.

"No. But we're really close." She replied and urged him to keep walking.

This time, she walked ahead. She took a deep breath and kept walking, hoping that her now-rubber legs wouldn't fail her again. The series of hills and plateau-like areas finished and they were now on flat land and her house was visible among many houses. It looked completely lifeless and empty compared to the houses surrounding it, where she knew families were having dinner and laughing.

They had most probably forgotten about her father. But she couldn't forget. She unlocked the fence of the house and was unknowingly shivering. The minute she touched the doorknob a static current ran through her body. She pulled her hand away and held it tightly with her other hand. Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hold them back but they inevitably fell and hit the grey porch with a small splash.

Aiden was leaning against the tall fence, which surrounded large bushels of roses and asked, "What now?"

"I can't go back." She muttered and quickly wiped away her tears. She turned away from the door and walked away stiffly. _Dad left because of Team Genesis…they killed him…_

A new burning spirit inflamed inside her. She looked at the sky. _I wonder if those who die really turn into stars._

No doubt, the child inside her was still present. That was what she was to defeat. She had to finish that. She had to destroy Team Genesis. She was going to kill each and every one of the people who were responsible for her father's death. _Someday…._

She then took out Riolu's Pokeball from her bag and stared at it with determination. Slowly, she vowed, "I'm going to avenge every life they ruined. And you Riolu, will be my partner."

"You don't have to give us such a dramatic act."

A bulging vein appeared on her forehead as she looked at Aiden, who was still leaning against the fence. Though she was annoyed, she ignored him and walked ahead, leaving the premises of the house. He followed her out.

"You're not going to think about revenge alone are you?" He asked, walking just behind him.

Startled, she looked back at him and began, "How do you…?"

"Team Genesis has my parents captured." He said, not giving any further explanation. He didn't want to and wasn't going to.

"I'm so sorry." Scarlett said sympathetically, even though her own father had been killed.

Coldly, Aiden looked ahead and stated, "I don't need your sympathy." His voice was full of anger and disgust.

"I don't need anyone's sympathy either. I just want revenge." She commented as-a-matter-of-factly. "But…?"

"It'd be a waste of time to concentrate on revenge alone." He added, as if he had read her mind.

She nodded.

"What do you like doing?" He asked.

"I like…designing and decorating and…you know, making stuff look great." She replied, unable to find a suitable word.

"What about coordinating?"

"That's not a bad idea." She agreed. She hugged herself and randomly asked, "Isn't it chilly tonight?"

_Just like every other night,_ he thought, his eyes narrowing. He warned, "Get used to it. If you're gonna be travelling you'll face worse weather."

"Really?" She said, hugging herself tighter and letting out a long shiver.

Her voice formed cold mist on the air. She observed it and said, "I wonder what it'll be like travelling all over Kyoshu."

"We'll find out." Aiden said under his breath. She heard him this time and was stunned for a second.

"Y-You're c-c-coming with me?" She asked, stuttering because of the cold.

Coolly and calmly, he replied, "I couldn't let a little girl go on a big journey alone. I'd feel too guilty."

Her mouth open with sarcasm, she said, "How old are you?"

"17."

"I'm 15." She said folding her arms. She continued, "Not that little."

"Whatever." He said and walked ahead.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

He didn't look back. "Just keep walking." He answered.

* * *

_A bit slow, I know. I promise the next chapter will be better! New secrets will be revealed plus a 'training session.' The Kyoshu region will also be explained properly. Please be sure to review and give me feedback!_

_Your friend_

_~~Rosewood Thorns~~_


	3. Chapter 3: Training Session!

Chapter 3:

Train-ing Session!

* * *

Alpine City, Kyoshu's Scientific centre was located in a large valley in the middle of Shiyama Mountains. Air travel was difficult, so trains were used for out-of-city transport. The mild days were followed by chilly nights. The people of Alpine City were so comfy in their internally heated houses that they never realized it, unless they themselves went out in the cold.

Similarly, Scarlett never knew how cold the nights could be until that night before. She hadn't slept at all. Not because Aiden was unwilling to stay anywhere, even the Pokemon centre. It was the adrenalin rush inside her. She hugged herself even tighter whenever she thought about participating in contests and training Pokemon.

"So, how long have you had Jolteon?" she asked Aiden randomly as they approached the train station. Her voice seemed a bit drowsy, but excited nonetheless.

"A few weeks." Giving her a straight answer for the first time. His hands had remained in his pant's pockets all night. He stopped all of a sudden and informed her, "We've reached the train station."

She looked ahead and in front of her was the hectic train station scenario; people rushing to their trains with beyond heavy bags, elderly people sitting and gossiping on benches, Pokemon and children getting lost in the crowds. Without thinking, Scarlett asked, "Why are we here?"

"Are you," He asked with agitation, due to lack of sleep. "Going to stay here forever or are you going to travel?"

Embarrassed, she was unable to respond and instead reminded him, "But we don't have any tickets."

"We'll deal with that later." He said calmly and grabbed her hand, upon seeing a train approach. He ran quickly, pulling her along, and cried, "Grab it, quick!"

He was referring to the large handle just beside the door. He jumped inside the train and pulled her inside too.

She stood at the door's frame, staring at the fast moving images. He shook her by the shoulder and took her along to two parallel seats. Both sat beside the windows and admired the views. Large terraced mountains with dark green patches of vegetation and extraordinarily tall pine trees. A white mist prevailed everywhere. The blue morning sky was streaked with pink and orange clouds which seemed to swirl around the mountains. The Sun was slowly rising from its resting position between the hills.

_Isn't it beautiful?_ She thought, feeling sleepier by the second. For some reason, the smell of pine and honey entranced her. She rested her head on the seat which provided her with comfort with its hard exterior. Her eyes were closed, but she made it a point not to fall asleep.

_Its weird how calm a person looks when they're asleep. Its like they've forgotten all their worries. _Aiden hadn't a good night's sleep for some time. The circles under his eyes made it evident but his light brown eyes wood divert others attention from it. _Maybe, I should get some sleep now._

Before the ticket collector would arrive, he shut his eyes and relaxed into his seat. The train was seemingly empty.

_Its hard to believe even with such a huge rush at the station,_ he thought, placing his bag behind him so it would act as a pillow._ This train's so empty._

An apparently newly-wed couple was sitting behind their seats and a group of kids were playing around and laughing in the seats three rows ahead. Many elderly people sat on the rows beside them. None of them were expecting the sudden jerk with which the train came to a halt. Some of them even fell forward due to inertia.

"What the hell was that?" Cried out a kid.

"I'll go check with the conductor." The man said, standing up. He said it with such manliness as if trying to impress his wife. Aiden stood up and joined him.

Scarlett watched him leave and for some reason felt her heartbeat get louder. Even though she'd been with him for about 12 hours, she felt insecure without him. Maybe, it was the feeling of being lonely that overcame her that caused her to fold her knees and press them close to her body. Biting her lip, she couldn't help but think, _Did anything go wrong?_

A loud slam was heard and a few gasps escaped from the mouths of the passengers. Before she could even look back to see, she was pinned to her seat by a husky looking man. He was wearing a black uniform with G printed on its front.

"You're coming with me." He said, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

_Team Genesis,_ was the first though that crossed her mind when she saw the G. Her heartbeat stopped. She felt dizzy and her face paled. Breathing became harder. A list of dangerous things came to her mind such as:

Murder

Imprisonment

Memory Drainage

Rape

Forced Recruitment

Any of those five things could happen to her. He lifted her from her seat with just one hand.

"Pretty scrawny if you ask me." He said, examining her from head to toe.

She had to disagree. She wasn't scrawny, but pretty slender. She could see that the guy was having dirty thoughts. Pretty dirty thoughts. She wanted to break free but her body was paralyzed.

He let go of her and fell to the ground with a loud grunt. She was on the ground, two inches away from his unconscious body. She kept staring at his ugly face, the scar on his right eyebrow and his nose ring. A hand was reached out towards her. Looking up, she saw Aiden, a calm but disgusted look on his face. With his help, she got to her feet. He gave her an intense look and asked, "Why didn't you try to break free?"

"I couldn't." She replied weakly.

"You're pathetic." He said and kept looking at her.

Seeing a red dot appear on her forehead, he pinned her to the ground and ducked down himself. In the fraction of a second, a bullet shot through the glass and the shattered glass of the windows fell on the ground a few feet away from Scarlett's face.

Another goon was approaching them, this time with a gun. Aiden quickly called out Jolteon. He put his hands in Scarlett's pocket and called out Riolu himself. He knew she was too scared to think.

"Don't dare attack." The goon said, aiming his gun at the boy with two Pokemon by his side.

"Try me." Aiden said unnerved. He didn't flinch for a moment. The man pressed the button of his gun and Aiden cried out, "Quick Attack! Both of you!"

Jolteon agilely hit the man in the stomach, causing him to fall back and hit his head against the other end of the train. Riolu stood there amidst the confusion and fear in the room. The bullet had already been released from the gun and barely missed Aiden's shoulder. It had touched his shoulder though and now it burnt like hell. He, however, didn't utter a single sound of pain; just held his shoulder tightly with the opposite arm.

Scarlett, who was panicking, did the worst thing possible. She blacked out.

"Wow," he said with annoyance. "I got shot, she fainted."

* * *

The moment her eyes fluttered open, she thought about Aiden. She sat up and cried, "Aiden!"

He was sitting a seat away with a woman nursing his wound. He was sitting shirtless, displaying his lean torso. The skin on the surface of the shoulder was burnt and had become red. The woman dabbed his shoulder with alcohol gel. He would squint for a moment then relax. Upon hearing his name, he looked at her.

"You blacked out." He said simply. It explained everything.

"I know." She nodded. Her legs shaky, she stood up but quickly took support of her seat. The group of kids gathered around her and asked her a torrent of questions.

"What happened?"

"Why did he try to shoot you?"

"What's your name?"

"Are you all right?"

Feeling suffocated, she sank into her seat. She didn't want to answer any of those questions. With desperation, she ignored the questions and asked, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Probably half an hour,"a little girl replied, checking her wristwatch. Scarlett nodded, holding her head in place.

The man who Aiden had accompanied sat down beside her and explained to her the whole situation. A couple of goons (who she knew belonged to Team Genesis) had somehow sneaked into the train, knocked the engineer and conductor out cold and stopped the train. While the man, whose name was Jason, stalled the goons by battling, Aiden returned to the cabin to see if everybody was safe. That was followed by what she had experienced and then Jason, Aiden and Suzannah, the woman nursing Aiden's wound, drove them away with a huge Pokemon battle.

"You missed the most awesome-est battle in history!" Joey, a freckled, red-head cried out after Jason was done talking. She nodded and the look on her face softened. She looked at Aiden with a grateful smile and glazed eyes.

Words really couldn't describe her gratitude. The look she was giving him was enough. Her eyes were fixed on him and she didn't even care to look at Jason when he told her, "You should get some rest, the engineer's awake and driving. We'll be in Felicia Town in a few hours."

His words were droned out. She had already fallen asleep.

Meanwhile, Aiden couldn't help wonder why he had almost taken that bullet for her. Before any reprehensible thoughts, he quickly reminded himself that this was as much as his battle as it was hers. He felt his burning shoulder and exhaled a long breath of air. Sometimes, he confused himself.

_

* * *

_

Hey, thanks for your awesome CONSTRUCTIVE reviews Alphinia!

_I would like to clarify something, even though this story is based in a whole new region, to prevent confusion in readers only real Pokemon are going to be mentioned and used._

_Please be sure to review! All sorts of criticism is appreciated._

_~Your friend_

_~Rosewood Thorns~~_


	4. Chapter 4: A Purrfect Entry!

Chapter 4:

A Purr-fect Entry!

* * *

The sky. It had always intrigued her. Everyday the clouds would be arranged in different patterns. Every day, she saw something there which she had never seen before. Today, the orange clouds seemed to move slowly. The mountains were out of sight and only dark blue outlines could be seen. Ahead was a land of grassy plains and flowers of exotic colors. A new world for her, for she had never stepped out of her abode, i.e Alpine City.

She was at a loss of words at the moment, her eyes glazed and a distant look on her face. Her icy blue eyes turned to a darker shade.

A second later she felt a hand on her shoulder and involuntarily jerked up in her seat.

"Calm down." A voice said. A voice she had grown familiar with.

Without taking her eyes off the aesthetic beauty, she asked, "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine." The voice mumbled. He leaned down out of curiousity to see what she was looking at. The peach and pink tinted sky and orange clouds _were_ beautiful, he realized. His light brown eyes appeared darker as well.

He stood up straight again and walked away, seeing that she was not paying any attention to him. _I don't need it,_ he thought coldly.

The train entered a small tunnel with white lights lined inside. When it reached the dark end, the train came to a halt and everyone's eyes were flooded with white fluorescent lights inside the train station.

"Ticket call!" The conductor cried out, as he walked by every row and analysed the passengers' tickets.

Scarlett quickly sat up straight and looked at Aiden cluelessly, "But we don't have o-."

She was about to finish the 'one' when Aiden cupped his hand on her mouth. The conductor eyed him suspiciously, walking up to him and saying in a broken accent, "Where's your ticket, mate?"

Aiden stared at him for a minute, closely observing him from head to toe, from his cliché blue cap to the black ugly shoes. Noticing that he wasn't exactly fit, he had only one option in mind.

Running.

He grabbed Scarlett by the arm and pulled her along, running as fast as he could. The conductor, who watched them run away was confused, and when he realized the situation, pushed down the cap on his head and ran behind them, shouting, "Stop!"

They both ran past the rows and columns of seats, hand in hand. Scarlett, who was too bewildered to think, made an effort to run.

_Jet lag, _she thought, _is so not helping right now._

After bumping into an old lady, and almost stubbing their toes, they stood at the doorway of the train.

"Jump!" Aiden cried, and a second later both of them were standing firmly on the train station's firm forest green floor.

The conductor's footsteps were close behind, and without a second thought both ran. They had soon left the train station. The station was apparently located on the top of a small hill. Felicia Town could be seen from a bird's eye view.

Simply beautiful, that's what it was. Unlike Alpine, there was no monotony of houses, rather they were arranged beautifully and a marketplace was located in between. Standing tall and proud, was the statue of an elegant woman with a Pidgey on her shoulder.

"What's that?" She indicated towards the statue, not realizing her mouth was open.

Aiden shook his head, "Don't know."

He began progressing down the gently sloping hill which ended at the main road of the town.

As night approached, the city was wrapped in the glow of golden lights streaking down tall buildings. Scarlett couldn't concentrate where she was walking and instead kept looking around her. The smell of lavender was fresh in the air.

They quickly turned to the pavement and made their way to a sign which read, "Pokemon Centre - 2 km."

Scarlett's mouth dropped open.

"What's the problem now?" He asked irritably.

Hesitant, she shook her and replied, "Nothing, I was just….tired."

He let out a breath of cold air and shook his head before firmly saying, "Just try to walk."

She nodded and hugged herself. No doubt, it was cold in Felicia Town as well. The wind seemed to cut through her. Her blazer wasn't much of help.

_I guess,_ she thought, shivering. _Style and comfort together just isn't possible._

She swallowed a lump in her throat and followed Aiden, who was a metre or two ahead of her. The streets were crowded with people in colourful attire. Women in long frocks and men in shirts and pants.

Aiden took off his black blazer and said, "Here, take this."

She looked up at him. His face was half-overshadowed my the moon's glow and the bright city lights. His black hair had a brownish tint and his brown eyes were like liquid.

_Stop!_ She told herself. She was getting inappropriate thoughts. _He's offering it in a brotherly way,_ she assured herself. Still, taking it from him didn't feel right and she replied, "No thanks."

He shrugged his shoulders and put it back on.

_Meeeooooooowwwwwwwwwww!_

The sound was followed by a little girl's shriek and the gasps of many stout, short women surrounding the stalls.

"What was that?" A man cried in a terrified voice. He himself was quite short, 5'5 to the max.

"It came from up there!" A little boy pointed out.

One of the city's taller buildings, named 'Regal Towers' was illuminated with purple neon lights, coming from the roof. The silhouette of a woman came into view. She was wearing a cat mask and a tight suit, black in color with a purple streak running down the side. Her hair was short and spiky at the end. In the dark, it appeared black but it could've been lighter.

The woman swooped down, as agile as a cat, and with her claws snatched the bag hanging on Scarlett's shoulders.

The movement was so quick that Scarlett couldn't help but fall back, only to be caught at the right moment by Aiden. He let go of her, allowing her to stand up and looked at the other building where the cat woman had just leaped.

"Is she…" Scarlett said but the words couldn't come out.

"No," he replied. He knew what she was going to ask. "She's not from Team Genesis."

_But she looks no less dangerous,_ he thought, staring at the woman as she scratched her hair and purred seductively. He, however, was highly disgusted by seduction.

"Who are you?" He yelled threateningly.

The woman swooped down again and this time made it appear as if she'd make a head-on collision with him. But she didn't as the rope tied to her waist stopped right when she was closest to his face. She purred again and said, "That's for me to know and you"-twirling his hair playfully-"and you to find out."

He took a step back and kept his cool. "Forget it. Just give the bag back."

_Why did she sound so familiar?_

"Or else?" She asked, not the least bit frightened.

"Or else, I'll have to take it back." He said through gritted teeth. He swiped his hand forward to snatch it but she was quicker.

Tauntingly, she stuck out her tongue, "Missed."

"Jolteon!" He cried, calling out his Pokemon.

Jolteon let out a small cry as he came out and his body sparked. He already knew what he was to do. Quickly, he tackled the woman and pinned her to the ground by sitting on her stomach.

"Awww, why do you gotta ruin all the fun?" The woman said sighing.

Confused, Jolteon got off her.

"Huh?" Scarlett walked over to her. She gave her hand and helped her get to her feet.

The woman dusted her hands and took off her mask.

Aiden's eyes widened (for the very first time) upon seeing her face. Short blue-black hair, violet eyes, slim and 5'7 inches tall. As old as him, perhaps older.

"Remember me Aiden?" She asked running her hand through her hair.

Scarlett's eyes fixed onto his. "You know her?" she inquired.

"Melissa." He mumbled under his breath.

She placed her hands on his shoulders and smiled, "Nice to know you do."

She then turned towards Scarlett and then back to him, "She's your girlfriend?" The way she asked it didn't sound very friendly. There was a hint of jealousy in her voice.

Blushing, Scarlett didn't say anything. Aiden shook his head and said, "No, just a person."

_Person,_ she thought infuriated, _You almost took a bullet for me and you call me a 'person!'_

"Oh," Melissa brightened up. She gave her a dull, "Hi."

"I'm Scarlett." She introduced herself automatically.

"Whatever." She quickly responded, before looking straight at him and playing with his hair again, "I've missed you a lot. A lot happened since you left."

"I can see that." He muttered under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing. What happened?" He asked, apparently not interested.

She let go of him and looked away, her arms folded, "Well, since you left me, I tried to find something else to do…"

"Uh-huh." He yawned.

She twirled around before looking directly at him, "And I found my true calling! Drum roll please!"

She glanced at Scarlett, who didn't do anything, before dismissing her and saying, "Coordinating!"

"Okay." He said, rubbing the back of his head and examining his nails. He wasn't the least bit interested. Melissa however kept on talking.

_Wow, she doesn't get a hint,_ Scarlett thought. She recalled what Melissa just said and asked, "What do you mean 'left you'?"

Aiden answered the question for her, "We dated, I broke up. Simple."

"But wh-?"

"Not your business." He silenced her. His calm exterior had that firm effect.

"So, as I was saying," Melissa broke in, irritated by the third person in their going-oh-so-well conversation. "I'm going to be participating in a huge contest next month! The Fraire Festival!"

"Can I enter?" Scarlett inquired.

"Do you have two ribbons?" she asked.

"I don't have one," she admitted.

A look of boredom came over Melissa's face and she patted her on the shoulder, "Good luck kid."

"Come on, we have to get to the Pokemon Centre," Aiden broke in between them. He slung her bag onto his shoulder and grabbed Scarlett's hand.

He wasn't particularly happy on running into his ex-girlfriend.

"Why don't you stay at my house?" Melissa tore away their hands, holding one in each of hers.

"No thanks."

"I insist!"

"No!" He said firmly, gripped Scarlett's hand and walked away.

Scarlett found herself being dragged along the bright city and seeing Melissa throw her a dirty look.

_**At the Pokemon Centre**_

The room was weird for her. It didn't have the same decorations and designs hers did. It was just two bunk beds, a slowly rotating fan, two fluorescent bulbs and a windows throw which the moon's light streamed in. For some reason she couldn't sleep.

"Why did you break up with Melissa?" She brought up the subject again.

She was lying on the lower bed in her PJs. Both of them were. Aiden was on the one above her.

"I told you," He said. "Not your business."

"Still," she reasoned. "There must be some reason."

"There was." He turned over to the left side.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Look…" he said slowly, looking down to check if it was her. "She's a real witch, trust me."

Only, he didn't say witch.

"You shouldn't use such words...she's more of a cat. What's the word…?"

"She's a psycho-case."

_Grrr!_

"What was that!" She cried out, sitting up straight, alarmed.

"My stomach," He replied coolly, "I'm hungry."

"Just go down to the cafeteria."

"Cafeteria's closed," He said sarcastically. "Do you think they'd open a cafeteria late at"-glancing at his watch-"2:00 in the morning?"

"What about if we…" But before she could finish her sentence she had dozed off.

He looked at her face one last time before pulling up his covers and closing his eyes.

Who knew what would happen tomorrow?

* * *

_I hope that wasn't lame! I've been busy with my exams and don't get the chance to even open my laptop! Please be sure to review constructively!_

_Alphinia: Thanks, I understand. I think I'm getting the hang of it._

_Kellie: Aww, you're beyond sweet!_

_Thanks everyone else! I'll be sure to make up for Riolu!_

_~Yours sincerely_

_~Rose~_


	5. Chapter 5: Blown Away

Chapter 5:

Blown Away!

* * *

Her eyes shot open. She wasn't having a nightmare but felt a strange presence around her. Bright white light glared above her. It travelled in directed rays, so it was probably a flashlight being pointed straight at her. Involuntarily, her eyes shut tightly.

_Damn, my eyes! _She thought, placing her hands to shield her eyes. A few seconds later, her eyes relaxed and she attempted to open them once more. Slowly and carefully, they opened. Whirlpools of blue and purple light temporarily blinded her, before a cloth was shoved on her face. Its sickly-sweet smell irritated her nose. The next second, she blacked out.

"What's that smell?" she asked herself, as she regained consciousness and sat up in bed.

She felt light-headed and nauseous. That pungent odour was still fresh in her nose. The room was illuminated by the light, golden sunlight streaming inside from the windows. The fluorescent bulb overhead showed no sign of being lit. The room was completely silent and she could hear Aiden's slow snores. They weren't loud but audible, a soft whistling sound accompanied by exhaling of air. Cute.

"Aiden…" She said weakly, breaking Aiden's light slumber.

Aiden jerked up and his eyes blinked hard for a few times, adjusting themselves to the daylight.

"What's the problem now?" He said through gritted teeth. Apparently, he wasn't too happy on being woken up in the middle of his sleep.

Light circles were under his liquid brown eyes and his lips were parched.

Scarlett bit her lower lip and hesitated. What if it had been a dream? It couldn't be. It was too vivid. After a short pause, she stuttered, "S-somebody was here. Somebody shoved ch-chloroform on my face."

She waited for him to say something. Why did she suspect he wouldn't believe her?

She heard him exhale a deep breath of air. He said calmly, "First, check if you haven't lost anything. I'll check my stuff."

He sounded so sure of himself. As if he knew something was to go missing. But what? She didn't possess anything valuable. She pushed away the covers and got to her feet, her legs like rubber. She walked across the room to her bag, hanging calmly on a hook on the wall. She opened it.

All her clothes, jewelry and her books were inside. Her pokedex, five pokeballs, her trainer license….

Five Pokeballs. She had six.

"Holy…" She stopped herself short from saying the wrong word. Stammering, she said, "I think Riolu's gone."

"Stolen,"he corrected.

Dumbstruck, the only thing that escaped her lips was, "But why?"

He placed an inquisitive index finger on his chin and muttered, "I should've seen this coming."-looking at her-"Team Genesis probably believes Professor left behind some sort of message in Riolu or something."

Scarlett's head began spinning furiously, the earth beneath her tilted. She walked all the way to her bed and fell by its side. Her body leaned against it and her lips trembled.

"My first Pokemon…" she held back a few tears but failed to do so. Drop by drop, tears landed on the hard, wooden floor. "They stole her."

Aiden walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Now don't start crying."

His words were of no comfort. She glanced at him and tightly clutched the leg of his pajamas, crying, "Oh Aiden…"

He knelt down to the ground, feeling his pajamas getting tear-stained. He patted her on the back and asserted, "Get up and call Professor…what's her name?"

"Melanie?" She suggested. Aiden nodded. Pausing for a moment, she inquired, "How do you know her?"

There was uncertain silence for an instant. He answered, "She gave me Jolteon."

That was all he said, before pulling her to her feet and staring straight at her, saying, "Go and change. I'll call her and you talk to her."

Scarlett nodded. He was trying his best to not offend her. At least, he considered her feelings. She wiped away the last tear from her eyes, as she knew she had to be firm when talking to Melanie.

* * *

When Scarlett entered the café, she found a cup of coffee awaiting her on a table next to the window panes, which displayed the whereabouts of Pokemon in the Pokemon Centre Daycare. Aiden was closely observing this.

"I don't drink coffee." She said, pushing the cup away with a grateful smile.

A lopsided smirk appeared on his face and said, "Who said it was for you?"

Silent, she observed Aiden's face. She was pushed aside by a girl with long green hair. She placed both hands on the table and leaned forward at Aiden.

"Thanks," she said with her best smile. She picked up the cup of coffee and winked before leaving. A note was left on the table.

Aiden quickly picked it up, read it and disposed of it, tearing it into shreads. Scarlett immediately understood.

"You just love playing on girls," she smirked, "don't you?"

Flicking his black hair, he relaxed an arm on the seat and said, "What can I say? I'm irresistable."

He was just pretending of course. He then placed both arms on the table and asked, wondering if she had forgotten, "Are you going to call the professor, or am I?"

Releasing a deep breath of air, she stood up. She was trying to relax as her fists were clenching and unclenching, "I'll do it."

She left the cafeteria and took permission from Nurse Joy to use the video phone. Quickly recalling the numbers, she typed in digit by digit.

An image appeared on screen. Professor Melanie was looking directly at her, smiling. She noticed the tense expression on Scarlett's face. Scarlett's calm façade was not working. Melanie's smile turned into a small frown and said, "Good morning, Scarlett."

"Good morning," she responded stiffly.

"Is anything wrong?" The professor inquired.

"They stole Riolu."

"What-!"

"They stole her," she blurted, "under my nose, they stole her."

Melanie caught her breath for a minute. Clenching her hands, as if holding back one of her involuntary hugs, she calmed her down, "Don't panic. Team Genesis is obviously after you. They've got Riolu, okay."-mumbling under her breath-"holy crap…"

"What do I do?" Scarlett asked, failing to mask her feelings of vulnerability.

"Let me see," Melanie held up her hand, "I'll send you a Pokemon for your protection. Do you have anyone with you?"

"Yeah, a guy named Aiden." She replied, biting her lower lip.

"A guy?" she had a questioning look on her face. Turning back to her normal self, she said, "Good, be sure you're not alone. They'll attack you whenever they think the time is right. Otherwise, I would recommend you live your life normally. Don't tell anyone else."

_'Normally' nothing seems that way,_ Scarlett smirked ruefully.

Melanie was speaking at a really fast rate, sweat rolling down her temples. She repeated, "I repeat, do NOT tell anyone. Not even your companion."

"Actually…" she wasn't able to finish her sentence. She wanted to say Aiden was being surveillanced, but didn't.

Melanie kept a straight face, "I'm going to send you the Pokemon."-disappearing from the screen for a second-"I'll be right back."

_Not that I want you to be,_ Scarlett thought sulkily.

Melanie reappeared, her face popping onto the screen suddenly. Scarlett noticed the machine right beside the video phone. It had a small podium with a sphere Pokeball-sized depression in its centre. A red light hovered over it. A small yellow button began glowing and beeping.

"That's the Pokemon Transfer System," Melanie pointed out, noticing that Scarlett's attention was diverted by it, "any minute now, your new Pokemon will reach you."

The red light over the podium brightened and suddenly a Pokeball appeared on the depression. Scarlett thought about picking it up, but refrained, afraid that it might burst or something.

"Go ahead," Melanie urged.

Cautiously, Scarlett picked it up and pressed the central button. The red plasma came out like usual. This time, a small balloon-like Pokemon emerged.

"It's a Drifloon," Melanie told her, trying to read the expression on Scarlett's face.

A soft smile appeared on Scarlett's face, she said, "Hi, I'm Scarlett."

Drifloon squinted its beady eyes and reached out one of its stringy arms. Scarlett took hold of the hearts and shook it, as if shaking a hand. For some reason, she was feeling more familiarity with this balloon-like creature than she did with Riolu.

"I see," Melanie said, holding back a smile, "Drifloon likes you."

"I like her too," Scarlett replied automatically. She paused for a second and asked, turning towards the screen, "It's female, right?"

Melanie nodded. She heard somebody call her from the background. "I have got to go Scarlett," she said, quickly hanging up.

Her image disappeared from the screen. Scarlett didn't care to think why she was in a hurry, for her eyes were fixed upon her new Pokemon.

"So, she gave you another one to lose?" a voice asked, breaking her trance.

Scarlett looked back and saw Aiden walking up to them. He looked at Drifloon and smirked, "What a drop in standard. From a Riolu to a Drifloon."

Offended, Scarlett frowned. She didn't know what to say to Aiden. He could be a jerk sometimes.

"What are you looking at?" Aiden questioned, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes, causing them to pop open and her head jerked back.

"Nothing," she retorted, turning around and walking away, obviously annoyed. Drifloon followed her without any command.

The green-haired girl he had seen earlier, passed by again, winking. He ignored her.

_Why's she upset?_

He was confused. Scarlett got agitated for apparently no reason. At least to him.

_Was it something I said?_

* * *

Aiden watched Scarlett's desperate attempts with sadistic amusement. She was trying to make Drifloon show her what attacks she knew.

"Don't you know any move, Drifloon?" she questioned the Pokemon hovering above her head.

_Drifloon's obviously a young Pokemon,_ Aiden noted,_ it hasn't discovered its moves yet._

He noted the light breeze that morning. The memorial park, just a few kilometres away from the Pokemon centre, had lush green grass which swayed under the force of the draught. The flowers nearby danced. Right in the centre was the huge statue they had seen a day ago. The concrete statue of a tall, beautiful woman with a Pidgey resting on her shoulder. Her dress was moulded in such a way, that it looked as if it was swaying in the wind. Both her hands were placed on her heart and her large, melancholy seemed to tell an untold story.

He looked at the statue one last time. He got that eerie, I'm-watching-you feeling from it. Turning back to look at the confused girl and her equally bewildered balloon-like Pokemon. Constantly scratching the back of her head and crying out names of attacks, she was making a fool of herself. People who had come to pay homage to the statue, stared at her.

"What's with her?" A little boy pointed out to his mother.

His mother held back his hand and hit him lightly on the head, "Bad Joey, don't point at strange people."

Of course, she had meant to say strangers. But the word didn't suit the situation. A lopsided grin crossed Aiden's face. Coolly, he stood up and stretched his arms.

He produced Jolteon's Pokeball from his pocket and called him out. Jolteon's fur sparked as he rubbed himself against his trainers legs.

"Jolteon, use thunder bolt on Drifloon," Aiden commanded, kneeling down to rub the Pokemon's soft, yellow and static fur.

Uncertain, Jolteon looked at the young, weak-looking Drifloon and then back at his master, as if asking, _Are you sure?_

Aiden nodded with certainty. Jolteon gathered up energy, shook its head and released a huge bolt of energy from its body.

Controlling it, Jolteon send it zooming towards Drifloon, barely missing Scarlett. Drifloon's small eyes widened and it divided itself into four Drifloon, closely avoiding the attack.

"There you go," Aiden told a startled Scarlett. He said it so nonchalantly that it seemed as if the bolt of lightning never came near the two. He added, "Drifloon knows Double Team."

"I noticed." Scarlett said, wondering if Aiden cared if that bolt of current had hit her. It was so powerful that it had frightened her.

She then glanced at her alarmed Drifloon. Her first training session wasn't getting along so well. She thought about calling Drifloon back when she took out her Pokeball.

_Bam!_

Somebody bumped into her with full force and knocked her to the ground on her left arm. It was a girl. A girl with short violet hair and pink eyes. She was shorter and maybe a few years younger.

"I'm sorry." The girl cried out, hesitant whether she should run away or help the stranger up.

She reached out her hand and helped her stand up, hoping the girl wouldn't be angry. The girl fixed the bag on her shoulder and hoped to escape quickly. Before she could do any such thing, Aiden grabbed her by the shoulder. Her legs were running, but her body had been lifted off the ground by a nearly six foot boy.

"Hold on," Aiden said, wondering why she was in such a hurry.

The wind had gotten stronger by then and leaves were flying around them. Dust was also forming walls in the air, blocking vision of some areas. The statue was partly visible.

"Please let me down!" the girl cried out, struggling.

"What's your name?" he interrogated, still gripping her tightly from the shoulder.

She aimed to kick Aiden in the shin but missed. Tears began welling up in her eyes as she pleaded, "Please, let me go! They're going to catch me!"

"Who?" Aiden asked. He wasn't going to let her get away so easily.

"Let her go Aiden," Scarlett intervened, trying to sound firm, for she felt pity for the girl.

Aiden ignored her and awaited an answer from the girl. The girl spoke rapidly, hoping that the boy would let her go sooner, "My name's Gwen I'm a Pokemon trainer my parents don't want me to go they're trying to stop me I'm running away."

She paused, noticing the look of confusion on their faces, and then pleaded, "Please let me go! They're after me!"

* * *

Gwen's parents stared at the girl as if she was crazy. Her long dark brown hair and light brown eyes made her seem normal to them, until she told them about their daughter.

"Are you serious?" Gwen's father, a short, plump man with loose cheeks and greying hair, asked.

"Yes," Scarlett said, hoping they wouldn't notice her nervousness, "a girl with short purple hair, just as you described, went towards um- route 14."

"But that's completely opposite this road!" Gwen's mother cried, not believing her daughter had such stamina, "How could've she reached there so fast? She was dashing by here moments ago!"

Scarlett shrugged, suggesting, "She may be a really fast runner."

The mother bit her lower lip, looking worried. Her father, however, looked as if he was about to blow. He looked at his wife and rebuked, "Its all your fault! If you hadn't told her about her brother…"

Curious, Scarlett asked, "Told her what?" She immediately stopped, worrying she might be intruding into somebody's private matter.

"Its not your business," Gwen's father retaliated, obviously tired after the long search for their daughter.

His wife placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Calm down honey. We'll just asked Officer Maple to release a search team."

The red-faced man pushed away his wife with his arm and cried out, "In no way am I involving the police in a family matter!"

He stormed off, more furious and irritated than ever. From a distance he indicated his wife to follow him to route 14.

His wife fumbled her hands and looked apologetically at Scarlett as she said, "I'm sorry, dear. He's like that. Please, if you find her…"

"Hurry up Jane!" Gwen's father thundered from a distance. Without another word, she left despairingly.

As soon as both of them disappeared from view, she walked over to the statue, looking back one last time to confirm their departure.

"The coast is clear," she whispered to the statue.

From the back, Aiden's head popped out and he asked, "They're gone?"

Scarlett nodded. Gwen popped out her head and let out a sigh of relief. Her eyes glimmered brightly as she stared gratefully at Aiden, "How can I thank you for your help?"

A bit uncomfortable by the look in her rosy pink eyes, he moved back using his arms. She neared him in her cat-like pose. She then asked, suddenly curious, "Why did you help me in the first place?"

Aiden stood up, dusted the dust of his blazer and replied, "I've been in similar situations."

"You ran away from home too," she asked, fascinated by this mysterious boy.

He nodded. Scarlett, looking at him, felt compelled to ask, "Why?"

"I had my reasons," he replied, suddenly his tone turning cold. To change the topic, he asked, "Why did _you_ run away?"

Gwen fell silent. She sat down with her legs crossed on the ground and played with her fingers nervously. She stared at their faces for a minute, noting their sincerity and somewhat trustworthiness. She first questioned, "Can I trust you with a secret?"

Scarlett and Aiden shared confused glances before nodding in unison. They waited for the girl to speak.

"My brother…he….he's an elite member of an evil organization called Team Genesis," she revealed ominously, "and I'm going to get him back."

* * *

_I hope this chapter wasn't too long. I was so involved in this that I never got a proper way to end it. Oh, I love cliffhangers. Not a big one though. Be sure to review please. I hope I didn't move too fast._

_Thanks for all ur support guys! U too StrawberryCherry!_

_Your friend_

_~Rosewood Thorns_


End file.
